Over the Course of our lifetimes we have all taken mental snapshots that stand out in our memories with minute details picked from seemingly larger events that have since faded with time. People have a way of seeing parts of a moment in startling detail as they experience their surroundings. Even though our memories of a moment can differ greatly from those who shared it with us, we have this compulsion to share those memories with others as a means of building a personal vocabulary of who we were and who we are becoming. As I participate in the day to day aspects of my life, I find myself seeing the small things. Tiny moments of visual clarity and sharp glimpses of daily life that stand out in my memory. When painting, I strive to create visual representations of the things that stood out in my mind,s eye as interesting, beautiful, or as symbols of experiences both shared and private. Through the use of soft retreating colors and dramatic detailed linework I attempt to convey the selective nature of personal memory by playing with focus and depth of field. I choose to leave my works untitled so that the viewers are allowed a chance to give this place or detail a more personalized interpretation of its meaning and the significance that they attribute to each painting. As with spoken word, visual language takes on many meanings based on the recipient’s experiences and understanding.

Mutualism explores a relationship between science and art. Using scanning electron and stereo microscopes, I tightly image organic specimens. By digitally manipulating and enhancing my subjects’ space and color, unique, anatomical attributes are revealed in the form of archival pigment prints. My photography merges actuality and abstraction, illustrating the allure of the natural world in a new way.

Perhaps I am a cliché, but I’ve seen a lot during my life. My grandfather mined coal in southwest Pennsylvania, and my father was a corporate attorney. I was exposed to both Appalachia and the wonders of New York City. I’ve been both homeless and successful. I am grateful for my experiences. Today, I am the museum curator for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, steward of 150 years of history. I am the keeper of the dead; responsible for safeguarding stories, memories and tangible items from cadets long gone. My photography is eclectic: landscapes, florals, documentary. Black and White is my preference - I believe emotions are deeper in this format. My heart lies in capturing what used to be - and what remains - within Appalachian towns nearly erased by time. Where coal miner’s souls haunt abandoned buildings and crumbling tipples. The spirits are palpable.